Planet: Critical Folgen

Chris Smaje is a social scientist, farmer, and author of A Small Farm Future: Making the Case for a Society Built Around Local Economies, Self-Provisioning, Agricultural Diversity, and a Shared Earth.Chris joins me for a fascinating discussion about the political importance of land, its historical context, the current inefficiencies of farming, and the liberation people can find in reclaiming land and the capacity to produce their own food. We also discuss the historical framing of peasantry and serfdom, and offer new narratives which could galvanisee urbanised populations to rebuild their relationships to land, food and independence. Planet: Critical investigates why the world is in crisis—and what to do about it.© Rachel Donald Get full access to Planet: Critical at www.planetcritical.com/subscribe

Susan Krumdieck is a mechanical engineer, Professor of Engineering at Heriot Watt University, Chair of the university’s Energy Transition, and author of Transition Engineering: Building a Sustainable Future.Susan joins me to discuss how a sustainable future is possible by starting with engineering principles. Rather than focusing on politics and economics, which can only react in the short-term, engineering provides long-term vision, planning and design which will reimagine a sustainable world—and drag politics and economics into the future.She explains the inefficiencies of fossil-fuel economies, how renewable economies will automatically contract (hello, degrowth), and how sustainable engineering can provide a better quality of life for every being on the planet. We also have a lovely conversation on the importance of narrative: start with scientific principles, but sell them as a story.* Listen on Apple or Spotify* Watch on YoutubePlanet: Critical investigates why the world is in crisis—and what to do about it.© Rachel Donald Get full access to Planet: Critical at www.planetcritical.com/subscribe

Caroline Lucas is the UK Green Party’s first Member of Parliament, elected to represent Brighton and Hove in the 2010 General Election. Caroline has won every subsequent election, increasing her majority each time, and has twice led the Green Party in the UK. Caroline joins me to discuss the dangerous climate ignorance of the two candidates in the running to become Britain’s next Prime Minister, why net zero isn’t enough, the “immoral” rejection of global climate justice by Western governments, and why we should beware labelling bad decisions by climate-skeptic leaders as merely “incompetent”.We also discuss the importance of platforming the radical policies happening all over the world. If you haven’t heard the news yet, Chile’s socialist government created an autonomous committee to rewrite their constitution and the proposed section on climate and environment is the most daring bid to tackle the climate crisis I have ever seen. As ever, the solutions are there—and our votes certainly do count.* Listen on Apple or Spotify* Listen on YoutubePlanet: Critical investigates why the world is in crisis—and what to do about it.© Rachel Donald Get full access to Planet: Critical at www.planetcritical.com/subscribe